What is the Osage word for "please" (phonetic spelling)?

November 2, 2007 4:59 PM

What is the Osage word for "please" (phonetic spelling)?
posted by jackypaper to Writing & Language (3 answers total)

I have no doubt that this will be swiftly answered here on the green but in case it's not, a call or email to a member of staff here would surely get you the correct translation.
posted by ceri richard at 6:21 PM on November 2, 2007

Best answer: Not exactly helpful (maybe), but your local library might have this book. Search for it here.
posted by boeing82 at 7:30 PM on November 2, 2007

There are not many speakers of Osage left, but I have a feeling that you may not find a direct word-for-word translation of the English term "Please" (I assume as in "please hand me the spoon") Osage is a Siouan language, and having browsed a few pages of Lakota, Hocank and Omaha texts I dont see a direct cognate for "Please."

A lot of non-European and non Indo European languages show respect and social grace by using linguistic formulas to convey the sense that saying "please" does in English without using a particular single word. These might be polite/respectful forms of the word "I want" or "I beseech" or use of respectful titles to convey a sense of what English speakers mean when they say "please."
posted by zaelic at 6:35 AM on November 3, 2007